Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-11-07

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partments of the city would show a correspond
ing proportion of improvement, the result
Would prove that our city has ample resources
WhereWith to manipulate public affairs. and en-
courage necessary Improvements without caus-
Lug our CITIZENS 10 look upon them as q burden
CITY AUDITOR.
, In this office We can say but little, and that's
that SD far as we saw and could Judge il
was carried on and the business attended to in
satisfactory manner.
CITY COLLECTOR.
In this office. for the amount of business done.
1t has less books than any other we have visited
ana they are kept in a very neat and business
ike manner, and have no fault to find in any
Nay IN regard TO the management or running of
tnls once. 1t Is noticeable that very few &C
counts are not paid up to January, 1855, and we
cannot but think it commendable.
COUNTY ROADS
WHEREAS, As by reasoz of our long dry seasons
and the great amount of travel upon the public
highways OF this county, and particularly upon
All roads leading to and from Sacramento such
highways during the summer months become
exceedingly dusty and cut up, thereby entail
ing considerable expense upon the county TO
keep said highways in repair, and therefore. in
our Judgment, it would be matter of public
economy and benefit to have said roads sprin-
We the Grand Jury. hereby recommend that
the Board of Supervisors of this country pro-
vide such fund or means whereby the main
roads ana lhoroughfares leading to and from
sprinkled during the summer months
LEvEEs.
We, the Grand Jury, as a body thoroughly ex-
amlned the leyees, making complete tour of
the city. In our investigations we found the
leVees in q general good condition: but for the
future safety of the city we recommend a small
tax be levied annually for strengthening them.
We believe the levees should be wide enough
on top for a roadway, so that they could be
more carefully watched.
DpArNAcr
We found the drainage canal on Twenty-frst
aud streets, and from Eighteenth and
streets, to be the receptacle of all the garbage
and filth of the neighborhood making it not
only offensive to the senses, but obnoxious and
injurious to the health. and we recommend that
they be covered. The city drainage canal not
having sufficient fall, is a nuisance, and should
be abated, and we recommend that the city
the Sacramento river.
CITY AND COUNTY LICENSES.
1t being well-known and indisputeble fact
that much crime arises and is fOSlered by per-
hitting the sale of intoxicating liquors in
houses of i'll fame and other disreputable places,
we, the Grand Jury, recommend to the Board of
Supervisors and TO the Board of Trustees of this
city that the existing ordinances be so amended
as to prevent in future the issuance of any Ii
cense to sell intoxicating drinks in such places
within the limits of Sacramento county and
CITY,
CITY POLICE.
Upon the streets and in the daily papers of
this city frequent and numerous charges have
been made against the management of the Po-
lice Department The charges are too numer-
Gus to mention, and If true, the department is
not only demoraliZed, but also miserably cor
rupt. When the good citizens are called upon
to come before this body and aid us in investi-
eating such charges we find but little DISPOSE
ton on their part to do so. While we may feel
that many of the charges are well-founded, yet
we have not been able to obtain evidence to
warrant US in saying positively that they are
true. Evidence has been given fore us that
Chinese gamblers and others of like ilk have
paying monthly stipend for the
privilege of plying their artful vocation, but to
whom paid we have not been able to ascertain |
We are morally certain that
THE LAW Is DAILY VIOLATED
By the running of certain unlawful games; that |
during the State Fair there was the most open |
and notorious violation of law by the running
OF every conceivable game known to the fra |
tern1ty. We are morally certain that lottery |
tickets are sold in certain cigar stores and upon
the Streets yet the police say "Of my own |
knowledge l know nothing of such things ex-
istiDg."
The Chief of Police is resp onsible for his SUBJ
and, in view of many facts before us |
we cannot bestow praise upon him for not fer |
reting out such violation of the law We would |
force-as to congregating in saloons houses of !
prostitution, etc.-be most strictly enforced. |
We would also recommend that the Chief of |
Police, in view of his oath OF office, do his duty,
his whole duty. Then will the press and the |
people cheerfully sustain him.
CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The proper management of this department |
OF the city OF Sacramento is matter of the ut |
most importance. Its efficiency and its free
dom from all influences which may impair in |
dependence and usefulness should be guarded |
with constant vigilance. In the law establish !
ing the department particular pains were taken |
TO separate it from the possibility of being made
use of to advance political or personal ends or |
to prescribe or reward any person on account of
personal or political motives. This law requires
that before entering upon the discharge of the |
duties OF his otfice, each Commissioner ap-
pointed or elected under the the provisions of |
this Act, shall take an oath of office and shall
also take solemn oarh or affirmation that he |
Will neither appoint nor remove an officer or |
member OF the Fire Department constituted by
this Act
BY REASON OF POLITICS,
But solely on account of fitness or unftness,
eacn of said oaths 10 be III writing and to be
filed with the City Auditor.
This oath is the fundamental principle of this |
law, and upon It's faithful observance depends
the value of the Fire Department as a separate
institution of the government of the city. From
an investigation OF the management of its af-
tairs, among other things calling for censure,
there appears recently to have been upon the
part of d majority OF the Board of Commission
ers a strange forgetfulness or d reckless disre-
gard of the obligations imposed by the oath
referred to. In the latter part OF September the
Board of Fire Commissioners was composed of
John 7. Griftitts, John Well and John f. Slater |
WIN george r. JACKSON as secretary. The law
under which the Department is organized, IN
vests the Board with the power to remove Off
GERS without making specific charges. except in
the case of Cdlcf Engineer and Assistant hief
Engineer, but the exercise of
THIS POWER is STRICTLY LIMITED
BY the terms of the oath above mentioned. The
power, therefore, does not exist except when
the removal is for incapacity, or as the law ex-
presses it, for unttness, and the exercise of the
power for political reason is also an illegal act
The Fire Recruitment of the city is il "a hodI Il
demoraiized condition This important branch
OF the public service has not been conducted
upon ordinary business PRINCIPLES, and needs a
thorough reconstruction. We have examined
various charges and dismissed them, all the tes-
timony being so conflicting on both sides. We
learn that more than a year since contract had
been entered into with the Richmond Fire
Alarm Company TO reconstruct the fire alarm
apparatus and that in contemplation of that
object q large number of poles have been pur-
chased by the Department, very few of which
have been used, and there is now much insr-
ated wire in the corporation yard, of which
NO ONE KNOWS
Why it is there, or who it belongs to. No min
utes of the contract appears in the record book
No copy OF it is in possession of the Department,
nor can any of the present or past Commission
ers explain the matter. During our inyestiCa-
ton OF this department we sent for some of the
vouchers, but, although they were in their ac-
cuStomed place two months ago, when we
wished 70 get them they were gone. They had
been carelessly left in an old locker or closet.
to which number OF persons had access, and
though we examined a number of witnesses
we have been unable to locate upon any person
the responsibility of their removal We con.
denim such business methods, and recommend
that the Commissioners Immediately purchase
q safe for the use of the Department, place it in
charge of the Secretary alone. and make that
officer responsible for its contents. The com
mittee examined carefully all of the engine
houses, engines, horses, harness and hsse carts;
also the fire-alarm system. We found the men
in charge competent and intelligent The en-
gine-houses were in as good condition as we ex-
pected. We find that the horse at Nineteenth
and L streets is not fit for that service. We find
this house neater and cleaner and in better con-
dition than any other, and commend the par
ties in charge for their faithfulness. We recon-
mend that the entire apparatus be at once
placed in good repair. We find the books of
the several foremen kept in systematic way
PUBLIC SCHOOLS, CITY AND COUNTY.
The public schools of both city and county
are in a healthy and flourishing condition and
reflect great credit upon the superintendent
and teachers in charge of the various schools
Pie buildings are neatly kept, in good repair
and well furnished, anG Sacramento county and
city have reason to be proud of their public
schools.
CITY ASSESSOR.
We have examined this office. and must say
that, in our opinion, it is not a 1T place for the
keeping of the valuable books, papers and other